A few weeks an, the Shelton High School community received word that we have lost one of the most energetic, lively and passionate French teachers. The news was devastating especially to her current and former students. For you see she was more than just a normal teacher. In our high school, we have only one French teacher, so the whole French community is close knit and small. We call ourselves the French fam. If you take French you have Madame Dixon for all four years of high school, so it is only natural to develop a mentor/role model relationship with her. She got to watch me grow throughout my four years both as French student and as a person.
Madame was a mentor to all her students. She held us to a high standard because she believed in us and believed in our success. She loved us as her own. I was lucky enough to be her student for all four years and witness her joy every day in high school. She was the best french teacher I knew. Her quirky methods may have been frustrating but they were worth it. The hippo word game taught us how to think quickly on our feet. Only being allowed to write French on our tests, strengthened our writing. Using a fly swatter to hit the vocabulary words on the board, gave us discipline to learn new ways of communication. Her dramatic demonstrations of brushing your teeth or falling taught us to take risks to learn the language.
Her love for the language and France inspired me to go on to pursue a minor in this beautiful language. At first it only seemed logical that I should obtain am minor after I spent five years putting blood, sweat and tears into my French studies. Then I discovered the real reason why I want to is due to the passion I gained for this language. The movies and readings Madame showed us made me realize how much I appreciate the French culture and language. I can still remember the emotions I felt after watching Jean de Florette and le Papillon et le Scaphandre. I can remember the quotes I collected in my journal from the Petit Prince and The Bald Soprano play. The accomplishment I felt after writing a five page research paper in French for my final, motived me. For you see it wasn't just the material that cultivated my enjoyment of French, it the manner it was presented in.
Beyond that madame taught us acceptance, perseverance and gave us a love for french culture. From the spance trip, to the Petit Prince and Petit Nicolas plays to the french movies Madame continued to inspire us. She will be missed. She made sure everyone was having fun and included during our French club meetings. She wanted us to know about the people behind French,; the poets, the artists, the musicians and the citizens. She encouraged the trying of new dishes and games that are important in French culture. On our field trips to the Yale Art Gallery museum or to the Union Street Café or to see Les Mis, we were fortunate enough to witness Madame as friend during those times. The excitement in her voice on those trips was equally passionate as well as entertaining.
She was a great teacher, an aspiring friend and a strong women. Tu me manges. Jusqu'à la prochain temps, au révoir les énfants.
